The State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) has recently circulated a draft Agriculture Management Practice standard (AMP) for On-Farm Direct Marketing Facilities, Activities and Events. The purpose of an AMP is to put in writing the standards upon which a farming activity or practice reviewed when a “Right to Farm” issue develops.  Right to Farm issues can be very complex and the mechanisms built into the regulations concerning these issues are designed to provide a uniform methodology for resolving the problem at hand. These AMPs deserve a very close look since they establish the generally accepted practices to which commercial farms must comply to be eligible for “Right –to-Farm” protection. Farmers and farm operators are not the only parties who can be affected by these standards and planning boards, boards of adjustment, zoning officers and professional planners need to be aware of what is contained in these standards. The wide diversity in the style and utility of on-farm markets and farm stands coupled with the tremendous differences in zoning and planning across our state make this AMP one of the most important ones to be adopted. These AMPS are designed to protect not only the farmer but those who may be affected in the community.  The SADC will receive written comments on these draft proposals until April 15^th at which time written comments will begin to be reviewed.  If you are looking for a copy of the draft it is available at the SADC web page or contact the SADC at sadc@ag.state.nj.us

Local farmers who have water allocation permits for irrigation or other purposes should take heed that permit application renewals need to be filed no later than February 28^th. The DEP has become very strict on the permitting process and you need to dot every I and cross every T. “My dog ate the renewal paperwork” is not going to gain any traction for you and loss of your irrigation allocation will turn out to be a very troublesome adventure.

NJ Secretary of Agriculture Doug Fisher has announced there will no gypsy moth aerial spray program this year. It appears that populations of the leaf-eating pests continue to remain low after the population collapse in 2009.

The NJ Forestry Association will be hosting their annual meeting on March 3^rd at the Foresgate Country Club located at 375 Foresgate Drive in Monroe Township NJ. You can check their web site for information about the meeting and directions. This looks like another outstanding program and should be of interest to all landowners who claim farmland assessment through their woodlot activities. Contact Lori Jenseen of the New Jersey Forestry Association at njfalorij@aol.com or call 908-832-2400 

The farmer trade publications are printing an ever increasing number of stories and articles about the use of “high tech” computerized equipment on the farm. Almost all of the larger new tractors can be equipped with sensors and monitors that would allow the tractor to operate itself while planting or fertilizing a field. New Harvesting equipment can be ordered with these same sensors and computers that are capable of analyzing the crop yield and printing out a report that can tell the farmer which parts of the field yielded best or poorest. That data can then be fed into a computer controlled fertilizer spreader and when that spreader crosses the field the computer will adjust the application rates to apply more or less fertilizer depending upon the yields and a corresponding soil test. If you think those computers in your new car are pretty good, you need to introduce them to a new “high tech” combine.  Of course all of this is great stuff until the computer breaks!!!  Coming soon to a storefront in your neighborhood will be the FARMER GEEK SQUAD.